Muse Arrowtown: Approachable sophistication | Architecture Now

Designed by Nikki Wilson and Lauren Hickling, the retail location represents a milestone for the Muse model, which has a 30-year historical past in New Zealand and a loyal following for its curated assortment of vogue. Muse is led by Olivia Vincent-Healey, and the Arrowtown retailer is the model’s fourth location, and its first within the South Island.

The design temporary sought to create an inside that expressed Muse’s established place on the earth of luxurious vogue whereas responding to the environment of Central Otago. The objective was to evoke a way of familiarity and luxury whereas providing clients a momentary escape from the bustle of the city’s fundamental avenue.

Wilson and Hickling organised the plan into three zones: a retail space on the entrance, a central hospitality threshold and a beneficiant dressing lounge on the rear. The format encourages a gradual transition from public to personal, with a champagne and tea bar dismantling any notion of feeling unwelcome earlier than making an attempt on objects.

Slightly than replicating Arrowtown’s dramatic panorama, the inside provides respite from it. The fabric palette is wealthy but restrained — walnut, Oamaru stone, native schist and textured plaster not solely flatter the clothes on show, however make spending time in a retail house a soothing expertise. These are punctuated with moments of refinement, reminiscent of a customized onyx door deal with, hand-crafted from offcuts. The detailing references 18th-century Italian furnishings, distilled into clear, up to date kinds that steadiness rawness and class.

All through the venture, the concentrate on craftsmanship was paramount. Joiners and fabricators labored to specific templates, guaranteeing each curve and junction met the designers’ intent. The central show desk — which integrates the purpose of sale and jewelry show — underwent quite a few design iterations earlier than settling into its closing kind and placement: a home, dressmaker’s-table silhouette softened by curved edges and high-quality trims centre the entrance retail house.

Lighting was handled as a core materials, integral to shaping the temper and journey by means of the house. Working with Chris Watt of InLight, the designers developed a scheme that balances practicality with environment. Two pendant lights bounce mild off the excessive, textured ceiling to create a diffuse glow, whereas hid LED strips softly illuminate clothes and surfaces. Within the dressing lounge, a single pendant by Sydney architect Bram Pereira acts as each a sculptural centrepiece and a lantern seen from the road after darkish. The method to mild, sound and texture creates a sensory calm that enhances the expertise of the clothes itself.

Muse Arrowtown embodies a slower rhythm of retail, one which encourages guests to linger. The hospitality aspect — the inclusion of a small bar and lounge — displays the social tempo of Arrowtown, the place buyers usually arrive with mates and keep longer. The design anticipates this behaviour, supporting moments of dialog and leisure throughout the retailer’s refined spatial framework.

Styling was a collaborative effort between Wilson, Hickling and Vincent-Healey, who every introduced their expertise and magnificence to the venture. Furnishings and objects have been sourced from vintage shops throughout New Zealand and Australia, creating a set that feels curated over time reasonably than staged. The result’s each influenced by Europe and unmistakably native, echoing the form of private authenticity of the model.

Positioned only a quick stroll from the designers’ personal studio, Muse Arrowtown has rapidly develop into a part of the city’s cloth. From the road, the shop seems modest and grounded; stepping inside, the sunshine softens and the sound hushes. The transition is fast however mild — a sensory shift that captures the venture’s essence.

By means of cautious planning, sincere supplies, and an emphasis on element, Wilson and Hickling have crafted an inside that speaks quietly however confidently of its place. Muse Arrowtown provides greater than a retail expertise; it’s an invite to decelerate, to have interaction, and to inhabit magnificence with intent.

Muse Arrowtown was a Retail finalist within the 2025 Inside Awards.See the dwell presentation from Nikki Wilson and Lauren Hickling right here.